


Not yet

by orphan_account



Series: Interpersonal [2]
Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Baking, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Established Relationship, M/M, Minor Big Red/Ashlyn Caswell, Relationship Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:18:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22480126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Ricky," EJ starts as the boy begins to dry off his hands on the towel. With a quick shift of his arms Ricky is now chest to chest with the senior and gazing up into his eyes, "I just don't want to make you uncomfortable."The junior doesn't pull his gaze away, and his voice quietens to something resembling a whisper as he breathes:"What about any of this has made you think I'm uncomfortable?"And Ricky says it so gently and so truthfully, that EJ can't believe that most of the love this boy has ever gotten has come with an asterisk.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen/E.J. Caswell
Series: Interpersonal [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1603699
Comments: 15
Kudos: 175





	Not yet

**Author's Note:**

> Did I write almost 4000 words for someone to find out about the Caswen/RJ relationship? Yes I did. 
> 
> Am I proud of it? Kinda, yeah.

_People I tolerate:_

_Carlos Rodriguez - admin, and 8 others._

_Ricky: 'Is it normal to feel really sad after a show? Or is my depression deciding to hit me in the face so hard it knocks me out?' - 11:36am_

At first he isn't quite sure if it's a question he wants the answer to, or if it truly applies to the show at all. After he and EJ had rolled around on carpet that curled damp at the edges, trading chaste kisses and decorating their hair with bits of crushed popcorn as hushed giggles fell from their lips; EJ hadn't spoken to Ricky. At all. Answered none of texts, let his calls ring on to voicemail - and eventually Ricky could no longer get through. It seemed like Chad Danforth happily interacted with Troy Bolton onstage, and EJ Caswell left Richard Bowen waiting in the wings.

No matter how the feeling of dread got to where it currently hung over him, Ricky wanted it gone. He needed it gone. 

For his own sanity.

Maybe that's why he couldn't wait to step out of the shower to send his message to the group of friends- family? he'd formed over the musical; his upper body craning around the shower curtain, wet fingertips dripping water onto his phone screen and splitting the white into technicolour. After turning the screen off to wipe it with a towel, he turned it on again before shutting off his spotify and opening his messages. 

Ashlyn, the utter star that she was - was the first to reply. Smart and straight to the point.

God he wishes EJ were the same.

_Ashlyn: 'Post-show depression, huh? Mine usually doesn't kick in until a few days later. Must be because you're new to this whole thing'. - 11:38am_

He isn't sure what 'post show depression' is, but it's an answer. So he supposes he'll take it.

_Ricky: 'How do I make it stop?' - 11:41am_

_Nini: 'I know just the thing'. - 11:50am_

While waiting on any piece of additional information, Ricky decides to finish his shower with a lack of Bruno Major crooning softly in the background - instead washing out the medicinal shampoo that healed the scraping of his hairbrush on his scalp (that he gained when trying to remove the hairspray that Kourtney so graciously attacked his hair with). When he's stepped out and just finished wrapping a towel around his waist, his phone pings and vibrates along the edge of the sink, rattling against ceramic and ringing in his ears.

_Carlos: I hope you're thinking what I'm thinking! - 12:03pm_

And then nobody else answers for hours, which sucks. He gets that everyone probably has something better to do than listen to him whine about feeling empty - but leaving him hanging when expecting some relief in a bad situation brings his mood down even more.

~*~

Ricky's in the kitchen when the doorbell rings. It's a miracle, actually. The day after the show is his dad's full day back at work - a double shift. Ricky likes to think God spared him the burnt eggs and charred toast after seeing him almost faceplant down the steps because he forgot his shoes were sitting by the banister. 

Still, it might have been nice to have somebody to talk too. 

Sucking butter from his thumb, he heads for the door at a snail's pace, bare feet dragging across the hardwood and pyjama bottoms pooling at his ankles. The drawstrings of his hoodie swing loosely as he turns his key in the lock, and he opens it to see a blonde woman with soft eyes, carrying two large shopping bags and grinning softly up at him.

Carol.

"Oh-uh," he starts, unsure why one of Nini's moms would be here at his front door, "my dad's at work, I can leave a message though, if you need him?"

Though honestly he couldn't guess what for. His dad wasn't half as capable as Carol or Dana, he loves the guy but he can't deny that Mike Bowen is only skilled in being a good father and occasionally knowing how to fix the pipes under the sink when they back up.

Then again, Ricky supposes, that being a good dad trumps all of the stuff his father isn't the best at. 

Carol shakes her head, hands him the bags that weigh surprisingly heavy for the calm demeanour she sported when holding them, and she leans forward and winks. It's in a joking tone, Ricky thinks as her eyebrows wiggle, but he isn't quite sure he'll get to learn the punchline. 

"You're in good hands, kid," Carol assures, and then Nini's rushing past her into the house, followed by Gina, Seb, and Carlos who all apparently bundled into poor Mrs Salazar-Robert's car and made her drive them all there. The choreographer follows behind the flock, helping his boyfriend carry tupperware boxes and setting them on Ricky's kitchen island without hesitation; and Gina and Nini are chattering away and paying no attention as they shed their coats and drape them over the back of his sofa before entering the kitchen. 

When the junior turns back round to ask Carol what this is about, he finds she's already halfway across his yard.

So he closes the door.

"Why are you guys here?" he wonders out loud, turning on his heel and walking towards his kitchen. Hopping up on one of the stools, he places the two bags beside the tupperware boxes, before resting his chin on his fist and letting his damp curls fall down his forehead. Before he can reach for his plate of toast, Gina steals half of it and takes a bite.

Ricky lets her. 

"APPD patrol," she answers around a mound of butter soaked bread, as if that clears up any of his confusion at all. 

(It doesn't.)

"APP- what?"

Seb takes the reigns next, beginning to unpack the shopping bags. Flour, sugar, eggs, chocolate chips, and icing now sit neatly on marble. Just when Ricky thinks the boy's done, more of what look like to be baking ingredients and kitchen utensils join the fray. How they afforded all of this, he wasn't sure.

"Anti Post Performance Depression Patrol," he explains, as if it wasn't a mouthful, "after a show when we're all feeling a bit sad - we usually try and find ways to distract ourselves."

"So," Carlos finishes, "today Richard Bowen-"

Nini looks unapologetic as Ricky squints his eyes at her.

"- prepare for the best baking and movie day-slash-night experience you've ever had in your _life_."

Ricky smirks.

"Isn't this APPD thing supposed to include everyone?"

"EJ's bringing Ashlyn when she finishes a dressmaking class at the rec center," Nini says as she opens a bag of crispy M&M's and pours a handful into her mouth. With a quick swipe, Carlos has them in his hand and the top is taped shut before she can lunge for the packet. Once she's swallowed them she continues, "and Kourtney has a cosmetics class that ends in an hour so he's picking her up on the way. That leaves Big Red, I think - and he said he'd be driving himself. So who knows when he'll get here, really."

"Okay, cool," the brunet boy shrugs, chancing a swipe at one of the five bags of milk chocolate chips. 

The mention of EJ feels like someone's holding a cattle prod to the base of his spine, pressing him into a wall and watching as he bucks and grasps for purchase. It's agony but apart of him likes the pain.

If Carlos saw him open the bag and begin tossing unhealthy amounts of chocolate nubs into his mouth then he doesn't mention it. Nini scowls at Ricky over the tabletop, and when he pours out a small pile of the chocolate pieces and passes them over, her face melts and she mouths 'thank you' with a smile that makes Ricky feel like shit for ever hurting her. 

God he couldn't catch a break.

"So did everyone hear about Ashlyn and Big Red getting together?" Carlos asks, and everyone nods or hums some form of an affirmation. Ricky wipes his palms on his pyjama bottoms.

"I was the first one he told," he shrugs, "I've been screaming at him for weeks to ask her out or atleast do _something_. It's about time."

"Their flirting's so cute that it's borderline sickening," Carlos states, rifling through Ricky's cabinets, "Ricardo, your mixing bowl ¿dondé esta?"

Ricky blinks owlishly. He doesn't exactly listen in his Spanish class, but he's somewhat sure he can decipher the phrase from the way it's been used.

"Uh- second cupboard on the right?"

The sophomore opens it and pulls one down, bopping Seb on the head with the bottom of it before sliding it across the counter.

"Thanks babes," he smiles, closing the cupboard and rifling through the cutlery drawer as if he wasn't a guest; and _actually lived here_.

"Yes, please do continue to rifle through my belongings and take what you need," Ricky sarcastically offers, gesturing to his fridge, "we've got cans of coke, bottles of elderflower water, and if you check three cupboards to the right you'll find a hundred bucks stashed behind the corn chips and my mother's wedding ring."

Gina snorts, as does Nini and Seb - all while Carlos opens the cupboard in question and pouts. He does however, pull out the wedding ring Ricky'd stashed out of his dad's sight in order to lessen the blow of the divorce.

Out of sight out of mind. You know?

"How much do you reckon I'd get for it?" the choreographer muses, twirling it in the light. The joke is very much appreciated. As he's squinting his eyes and checking for what Ricky assumes is an engraving (there isn't one) - the front door opens and Big Red walks in.

Is it bad that Ricky was wishing it was EJ?

"Probably fifty dollars if the pawn shop employees pity you."

Carlos stomps his feet in a false tantrum.

"But Ricky, that's only a half of what I was promised," he pouts, sliding the ring back into the place from where he took it, before wiping the dust from his fingers and turning back to the equipment that sits neatly (all thanks to Seb, no thanks to Nini and Gina who've been eating Ricky's breakfast for the past twenty minutes) on the counter.

"What'd I miss?" Big Red asks, noting that the stools have all been taken. He stands at the corner, between Ricky and Seb, and his eyes widen at the ingredients in front of him.

"Did Willy Wonka parade through here with a mob of Oompa Loompas? Or is this a fever dream or some messed up memory from my childhood that's flashing before my eyes?"

"Oh god - a mood," Nini sighs, taking the can of coke that Gina offers her from the fridge. She clicks it open as the sophomore slides a can to whoever nods, and everyone including Ricky is soon nursing a tin.

"So, we have enough ingredients for cookies, chocolate muffins, cinnamon rolls; and to help include our Jewish babies Ashlyn and Big Red, we managed to get enough stuff for challah bread and Rugelach," Seb grins, and Big Red almost _squeals_.

Gina sets down her can and rubs her hands together, before circling the kitchen island and pressing her frozen fingers to the sides of Ricky's neck. He jolts, eyes widening as he turns to her and raises his eyebrows.

"And that was necessary why?"

She shrugs.

"Because you were getting lost in that dumb head of yours," she sighs, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and keeping her face away from the water dripping off his head, "and we aren't accepting any of that today. We just need to have fun, clear our heads, and try and work out what musical Miss Jenn has her lips tightly pressed about; because oh my god I love the woman but she's so _frustrating_."

"Right!" Nini agrees, emotion flooding into her voice, "I've messaged her four times asking about the musical she's picked and nothing. Nada."

"It'll probably be something she can make a spectacle of without it being overkill," Big Red cuts in.

"Like Kinky Boots!" Seb says excitedly as he pulls at his bottom lip with his teeth.

"She might go for another Disney one," Ricky offers, and Carlos seems to agree wholeheartedly.

"With the size of the ensemble and the range of heights and talent - I'd assume something like Newsies."

"But isn't that a male dominated show?"

"Essentially yes, but tons of highschool productions use female dancers for most of the newsboys because guys are less likely to know or even learn tap. It took Miss Jenn so long trying to butter up the East High dance team for High School Musical, but something like that is up their alley."

"I know tap," Big Red offers, taking a handful of chocolate chips when offered the bag, "I started learning it when I was six."

Ricky nods.

"He's really good," he admits, "for a guy whose spent the last three years shouting at eight year old kids over a PlayStation headset."

"Hey, you have your hobbies, and I have mine!"

"And what hobbies might those be?"

The voice is a new addition to the group, and a part of Ricky doesn't want to turn around. A part of him wants to pretend that everything is normal. 

But apart of him really wants to never let EJ go.

"Playing guitar, crying myself to sleep, the standard teenage lifestyle, you know how it goes."

The junior is caught in a loop of thoughts that sound far too much like _screw you_ and _kiss me_ all in the same breath to notice EJ staring him down.

Big Red rolls his eyes.

"And the songwriting, not to mention your skateboarding and the whole acting thing."

Ricky grits his teeth.

Shut up Big Red. Shut up Big Red. Shut up Big Red.

"Thank you, Big Red. I almost forgot about that."

"No problem bro!"

_Yes problem, bro!_

"Where's Kourtney?" Nini asks, as if sensing the tension and testing her knife against the surface. 

"She text and said she can't make it until later tonight," EJ shrugs off his jacket and takes Ashlyn's as she follows suit, "her mom called her about something, but she wouldn't say what."

Nini pulls out her phone from her cardigan pocket, tapping out her password and searching her favourites. Ashlyn hugs her boyfriend and places a chaste kiss to his cheek.

"I'll message her and see what's up - there's coke in the fridge and Ricky's managed to successfully hog the chocolate chips without Carlos having a fit, so you'll need to ask him if you want any," she ruffles Ricky's hair and wipes her hand on her jeans, "he's got a pretty strong hold on the bag."

"Oi! Nina - you of all people know chocolate's one of my comfort foods!"

"Wow...Nina?" Ashlyn asks, resting her back against the wall to floor cabinets. 

"He's just mad because I told Carlos _his_ full name. It's Richard, by the way. Also since it seems we're all here, we should probably start baking with the amount of time it'll take. I'll be back in a minute," Nini replies walking towards Ricky's stairs and sitting halfway up them as she selects Kourtney's contact.

In a split second everyone is gathered around Carlos and Seb, looking up recipes on their phones and chattering amongst themselves - but EJ just knocks his shoulder into Ricky's and smirks in a way that makes the junior want to punch his teeth out.

"Richard, huh?" the senior winks discreetly, playing off the soft whisper as casual banter, "s'kinda cute, actually. Suits you." 

"Yours is probably no better," Ricky rolls his eyes, "something like Edward-John that's only meant for an eighty year old man."

"Elijah-James, actually," EJ laughs, "and if anything 'Richard' is the stereotypical old man name."

"I'm wounded, I thought it suited me."

EJ taps Ricky's thigh with two fingers, successfully getting into his personal space without anyone else noticing.

"It does."

Ricky doesn't know whether to be flattered or offended.

~*~

It takes four consecutive hours of baking before Ricky feels like he's about to drop. Cookie dough covers his fingers and flour covers his hoodie - and a part of him wants to curl up on his couch away from the chaos.

It doesn't help that EJ was grabbing his ass every ten minutes and grinning cheekily - and Ricky was proud to say that he managed to melt chocolate chips in the palm of his hand and wipe them into EJ's perfectly styled hair like the little shit he is.

While he's in his bathroom wiping away the wet dough that's sitting in between his fingers and crusted below his nails (everyone else was fighting over the kitchen sink), a warm body presses up against his back and causes Ricky to shoot his gaze up in alarm.

It's EJ.

And he's smiling.

"You come here to escape the madness?" he asks, his arms circling round Ricky's waist as the senior rests a head on his shoulder. One of the junior's damp curls brushes against EJ's cheek, and he turns and presses a soft kiss to Ricky's temple.

It would be kind of romantic if EJ hadn't left him on read for days. 

"What are we?" Ricky asks, needing to know. He isn't sure what EJ wants and honestly, the smaller of the pair doesn't know what he wants either.

"What do you mean?" he gets in reply, EJ's eyes meeting his in the reflection of the mirror. Ricky continues to wash his hands for longer than necessary, fingers numb under freezing water.

"Like - are we together? Boyfriends?" 

EJ shrugs.

"If you want to be."

"Do you want to be?"

"I don't mind."

"That's not an answer."

"Yes it is."

"How?"

"Because I don't mind."

"But- either you want to be with me or you don't."

"Ricky," EJ starts as the boy begins to dry off his hands on the towel. With a quick shift of his arms Ricky is now chest to chest with the senior and gazing up into his eyes, "I just don't want to make you uncomfortable."

The junior doesn't pull his gaze away, and his voice quietens to something resembling a whisper as he breathes:

"What about any of this has made you think I'm uncomfortable?"

And Ricky says it so gently and so truthfully that EJ can't believe that most of the love this boy has ever gotten has come with an asterisk.

Before either of them can think, EJ and Ricky surge forward - meeting each other in the middle with a clash of lips, the junior's damp hair tickling the seniors forehead as they press up against the bench beside Ricky's bathroom sink. The younger boys hands shoot out to balance himself, left hooked on the edge of the countertop and the right pulling his body closer to EJ's, hand placed strategically on the back of his neck. 

It wouldn't have mattered actually, as the older of the pair wound an arm around Ricky's torso, pulling him in as his other hand tipped the boys chin upward - chasing the kiss before Ricky could dare to pull away. 

The clashing of their teeth, the smacking of their lips as they combined their bodies into a single ballerina, dancing and twisting on a spring to a rhythm that existed only in the music boxes of their minds; and the soft pants as they pulled apart for milliseconds before diving straight back in. Together they heard nothing but symphonies that hung in their ears, along with the soft clicking of the radiator, and water sloshing in the pipes.

Oh, and the bathroom door creaking open.

 _Shit wait-_.

A familiar female voice gasps, but then apologises profusely as she backs through the door - hands held in surrender as her eyes crinkle tight with no chance of opening.

They're fucked. 

They're both utterly and unequivocally fucked.

EJ rests his head against Ricky's, gritting his teeth as he attempts to slow his breathing.

"We can't do anything without someone walking in, can we?" he bites sarcastically, but a part of Ricky knows that the theatre jock is frightened. Despite this, he stays silent instead of offering his condolences - because this is something EJ needs to explain in a way he feels comfortable.

Ricky can give his input after.

"You can come in, Ash," EJ sighs, untangling himself from Ricky and leaning back against the sink.

"Listen- I'm so sorry," the sophomore begins, opening the door and closing it behind her. With a quick turn of the knob it's locked, and EJ's left cursing himself for not doing that in the first place, "I won't like- tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about. I promise. You can both just continue whatever this is and we can be done."

EJ shakes his head.

"I appreciate it, but you of all people need to know about me. Ricky. Both of us?" the words feel like lead in his throat, "I think I like guys, Ash-"

"-Well if that was you 'thinking' I'm scared to see what 'knowing' looks like-"

"-and I don't want to come out to my mom and dad. You know what they're like, it took months of convincing them to let me go to theatre camp. The only reason I got to go was because I paid for it myself. If they find out I like guys I'm dead-"

"-EJ-"

"- _please_."

Ashlyn looks up at him, before stepping into his space and burying her head in his chest.

"You're fucking _stupid_ if you think I'd out you to _anyone_ ," the girl represses tears that fight to get free, "same for you, Ricky. Nobody gets to know about this, not without both of you being sure."

"Language," EJ hisses, no anger or bite in his tone. Ashlyn wipes the tears from her cheeks, dismissing her emotions for now as she decides to make light of the situation by joking with her cousin.

"So," she starts, "Richard Bowen, huh?" 

EJ scoffs as she wiggles her eyebrows.

"I'd appreciate you not teasing me about my boyfriend while he's standing right there."

If Ricky flushes deep red and feels his heart grow four sizes, nobody needs to know.

"Oooh, _boyfriend-_ "

"- right, out- out you go. Leave. Get gone. Let me kiss his face off before we're restrained by heteronormativity for the rest of the night."

EJ makes a show of shoving her towards the bathroom door, eyes squinted in laughter as he chuckles at the back of his throat. 

"Wowee, big word-"

"Ashlyn-"

"They'd accept you, you know. Both of you. Even Nini would."

Ricky pinches the skin between his thumb and forefinger, nodding as he looks at his feet.

"I know just- not… not yet. Please?"

And EJ nods. 

"Not yet, Ash."

 _Not yet_.


End file.
